Unitary article as a tissue dispenser and litter container



y 1964 A. E. HANSON 3,141,569

UNITARY ARTICLE AS A TISSUE DISPENSER AND LITTER CONTAINER Filed Jan. 22, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet l 1 In v/ fig. 2

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UNITARY ARTICLE AS A nssua DISPENSER AND LITTER CONTAINER Filed Jan. 22, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. 4471/00 AT /%/v-s-o/v United States Patent 3,141,5e9 UNITARY ARTICLE AS A TISSUE DISPENSER AND LITTER CQNTAINER Arnold E. Hanson, 2940 Lorain Road, San Marino, Calif. Filed Jan. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 167,578 8 Claims. ('Cl. 221-34) The present invention relates generally to a tissue dispenser and litter container. The container comprises a unitary article adapted to receive a tissue box and it further is provided with a litter enclosure for the receipt of soiled tissues, litter, and the like.

The tissue dispenser and litter container is attractively constructed so that it may be used in any number of locations such as on a desk of a business executive or business secretary, in an automobile, or anywhere else where this container would be useful.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a combination tissue dispenser and litter container which can be economically manufactured on a large production basis.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a unitary tissue dispenser and litter container having a tissue, enclosure sized for receiving a conventional type of tissue box.

According to the general features of this invention, there is provided a tissue dispenser and litter container comprising a shell and a base carrying the shell, the shell and base having main and elevated sections. with the elevated section mounted atop the main section, the main section being cooperable with the base in defining a tissue box enclosure, a rear end of the main section and the base being cooperable with the elevated section in defining a litter enclosure, the main section having a tissue box inlet and a tissue outlet disposed at its top side, the elevated section having a litter inlet at its top side.

According to still other features of the present invention, the aforesaid container may be molded in one piece or in plural sections.

According to still other features of the present invention, the container is provided with means for centering a tissue box in the tissue box enclosure so that tissues may be readily withdrawn from the box through the tissue outlet described above.

According to still other features of this invention, the container is provided with a cap or door having a hinge securing it with the container base and with the cap being cooperable with the elevated section to provide a litter outlet.

According to still futher features of this invention, the cap, hinge and base may all be manufactured as a one piece molded unit comprised of polypropylene.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully become apparent in view of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating several embodiments and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a tissue dispenser and litter container;

FIGURE 2 is' a front elevation of the container shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURES is a cross sectional view taken substantially On the line III-III looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and'with the container being shown as having a tissue box disposed therein;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of a modified type of tissue dispenser and litter container;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially on the line V-V looking in the direction indicated by the arrows as seen in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of still another modified type of container;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded view with the parts being shown in section as would be seen along the line VIIVII looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, as seen in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective View of still another modified type of container; and

FIGURE 9 is an exploded view of the container shown in FIGURE 8.

As shown on the drawings:

This invention concerns a tissue dispenser and litter container indicated generally at it The container 10 includes a shell or shell portion 11 and a base or base portion 12. The shell 11 and base 12 are provided with main and elevated sections 13 and I4 and in this regard it will be noted the elevated section is mounted on top of the main section 13.

The main section 13 is cooperable with the base 12 in defining a tissue box enclosure 15. Disposed within the tissue box enclosure 15 is a tissue box 16, as shown in FIGURE 3.

The rear end of the main section 13 and the base 12 are cooperable with the elevated section 14 in defining a litter enclosure 17.

The main section 13 has a tissue box inlet 18 as well as a tissue outlet 19, the tissue outlet being disposed at the top side or along the top surface of the main section 13. The tissue box inlet 18 is shown as being disposed at the front end of the container 1d and it will be appreciated that it also could be disposed at other suitable locations such as in either of the main section side walls 13a-13a defining the tissue box enclosure 15 or in the main section top wall 13b of the tissue box enclosure 15.

The elevated section 14- is provided with a litter inlet 20 at its top side. This inlet is open at all times so that soiled tissues and other trash may be dropped into the litter enclosure 17.

The container It is further provided with a panel or door or cap indicated generally at 21. The closure panel 21 acts as closure means for the main section 13 as well as the elevated section 14 at the rear end of the container. In this respect it will be appreciated from a consideration of FIGURE 1 that the main section 13 is of a greater transverse dimension than the elevated section 14' and that the closure panel or cap or door 21 is generally T-shaped.

The closure panel 21 is provided with means to enable it to be snapped onto the container which means includes cap or panel flanges 21a, 21b and 21c. The cap flange 21a is adapted to rest on top of elevated section side walls 1441-1411 which protrude rearwardly beyond the main section 13. The side cap flanges 21b and 210 are adapted to snap over and frictionally engage with the extended ends of the elevated section side walls 14a14a as indicated at 14a;

In summary, the tissue box 16 is adapted for insertion into the tissue box enclosure 15. The base 12 is provided with stop means 22 for centering the tissue box discharge opening 16a with respect to the tissue outlet 19. The soiled tissues can be dropped into the inlet 20 of the elevated section 14. When the litter enclosure 17 becomes full, it may be emptied by pulling the cap 21 free of the elevated section side walls 14a, 14a. After the trash is dumped from the liter enclosure 17, the cap may be'reassembled on the container by locating the cap flange 21a above the elevated section side walls 14a, 14a and by pressing the cap flanges 21b, 21c frictionally over the extended end portions 14a, 14a of the elevated section side walls 14a14a. The cap 21 is pressed against the container 10 so that it is bottomed against the main section side walls 13a, 13a.

If desired, the container 10 may be provided with legs or feet, as indicated at 23.

Shown in FIGURE 4 is a modified type of container indicated generally at The container 10 differs from the container 10 in that its cap 21' is formed integral with the base 12' and is joined with the base 12 by means of a U-shaped hinge 25, the hinge being joined at its opposite ends with the base 12 and the cap 21'. The cap 21', the hinge 25, and the base 12' may be molded as a one piece unit where formed from a material known as polypropylene. Excellent results may be secured by the use of tenite polypropylene.

Shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 is still another modified type of tissue dispenser and litter container, as indicated at 10". The container 10 is similar to the other containers already described and double primed reference numerals have been used wherever applicable to identify container components which correspond to the ones already described in connection with the form shown in FIGURES 1-3.

In this form of my invention, the base 12 is formed integral with the cap 21' and they are joined together by means of hinge 25", the hinge 25" being the same as the hinge 25 shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. This form of my invention differs from those already described in that the base section 12" is formed separate and apart from shell 13". Side walls of the main section are indicated at 13 and are provided with longitudinally extending grooves 26. Opposite longitudinal base edges 27, 27 are snapped into the grooves 2626 for the purpose of securing the base 12 in integral assembly with the shell 13". The base is provided with a series of longitudinally extending reinforcing flanges 28.

The closure panels 21' and 21" on the containers 10 and 10 are adapted to operate in the same manner in that each of them may be pulled out of frictional engagement with elevated section walls in the same manner as already previously described in connection with the description of the structure shown in FIGURES l-3. In other words, the closure panels or caps 21' and 21" are adapted to coact with the elevated section side walls of the type indicated at 14a, 14a, and 14a, 14a as previously described.

Shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 is still another modified type of tissue dispenser and litter container as indicated generally at 40. The container 40 includes a tissue box enclosure 41 and a litter enclosure 42 and in this instance the tissue box enclosure 41 is stacked on top of the litter enclosure 42. The tissue box enclosure includes a tissue box inlet 43 as well as a tissue outlet 44. The litter enclosure 42 is provided with a slidable drawer or removable panel 44 having an angled lip or drawer edge or chute 45 which is adapted to protrude externally of the container 40. The angled drawer flange or chute 45 constitutes a litter inlet as indicated generally at 46 in FIG- URE 8.

In all forms of my invention, the containers may be made from any suitable material such as a synthetic plastic. Where, however, hinges are to be molded integral with the litter door and base, a polypropylene material is preferably employed as it has flexible characteristics which enable the hinge components or sections to be repeatedly flexed with respect to one another without damage to the hinge.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tissue dispensing and litter container comprising,

a shell housing having:

a horizontal base wall of generally angular outline having an area substantially greater than that of the base of a conventional tissue box,

vertical walls rising from said base wall and defining an opening immediately adjacent to said base wall through which a tissue box can be inserted in a horizontal direction onto said base wall, an integral means within said shell housing for limiting and orienting said tissue box on a predetermined portion of the base wall adjacent to said opening to leave a substantial area of said base wall within the housing free as a litterrecelving space, and a top wall having a first portion spaced from said base wall provided with a tissue dispensing opening aligned with said predetermined portion of the base wall to closely adjacently overlie the top of the tissue box and afiording access to a top tissue opening in the tissue box therebelow, a second portion of said top wall over said litterreceiving space and beyond said first portion coacting with said vertical walls contiguous with said litter-receiving space extending upwardly substantially higher than said first portion and defining a litter enclosure of substantial horizontal and vertical capacity, said top wall second portion having a litter inlet opening downwardly into said litter enclosure; at least a portion of one of the vertical walls defining said'litter enclosure comprising a litter-removing discharge opening and having a removable closure panel,

and means releasably retaining said closure panel in place.

2. A container as defined in claim 1, in which said closure panel has angular marginal flanges, and said one vertical wall having complementary angular flanges engaged frictionally by said closure panel flanges and comprising said releasable retaining means.

3. A container as defined in claim 1, in which said base wall and said closure panel are formed from a synthetic plastic material on the order of polypropylene and have an integral flexible hinge connecting the same.

4. A container as defined in claim 3, in which the closure panel and said one vertical wall have complementary angular frictionally interengageable flanges providing said releasable retaining means.

5. A container as defined in claim 1, further characterized by said base wall comprising one unit and said side walls and top wall comprising a second separate unit, said base wall and said side walls having means by which they are separably connected together.

6. A container as defined in claim 5, in which said closure panel and said base wall are hingedly connected together and said closure panel comprises at least a portion of the vertical walls in the assembly.

7. A container as defined in claim 1, further characterized by the bottom of the base wall having legs thereon extending downwardly for supporting the container.

8. A container as defined in claim 1, in which said base wall has a series of longitudinally extending reinforcing flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 838,031 Kirkpatrick Dec. 11, 1906 2,319,761 Bodkin May 18, 1943 2,566,016 Cochran Aug. 28, 1951 2,587,302 Fawcett Feb. 26, 1952 2,841,276 Schwimmer et a1 July 1, 1958 2,915,218 Rosenman et a1 Dec. 1, 1959 3,001,645 Hernberg Sept. 26, 1961 3,072,245 Faltin Jan. 8, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 824,989 Germany Dec. 17, 1951 

1. A TISSUE DISPENSING AND LITTER CONTAINER COMPRISING, A SHELL HOUSING HAVING: A HORIZONTAL BASE WALL OF GENERALLY ANGULAR OUTLINE HAVING AN AREA SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THAT OF THE BASE OF A CONVENTIONAL TISSUE BOX, VERTICAL WALLS RISING FROM SAID BASE WALL AND DEFINING AN OPENING IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO SAID BASE WALL THROUGH WHICH A TISSUE BOX CAN BE INSERTED IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION ONTO SAID BASE WALL, AN INTEGRAL MEANS WITHIN SAID SHELL HOUSING FOR LIMITING AND ORIENTING SAID TISSUE BOX ON A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF THE BASE WALL ADJACENT TO SAID OPENING TO LEAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AREA OF SAID BASE WALL WITHIN THE HOUSING FREE AS A LITTERRECEIVING SPACE, 